Sunshine
by Solace in the Chaos
Summary: "I stayed with you." ZoLu/LuZo, Character Death


_**Beta'd by Yuu Leiko! My hero! I'm not even kidding you. The amount of mistakes in this was horrifying. D: **_

_**I don't own One Piece.**_

~V~

Zoro had promised to take me out tonight, and I was so excited I practically trembled as I rushed around the house trying to make myself presentable. I paused when I heard my cell ringing. "Now, where did I put it?" I scrambled through my dirty clothes. "Success," I muttered under my breath, as I dug it out of my jeans pocket and answered it.

"_Hey, Luffy."_

"Zoro!"

"_How are things?" _I heard him turn down the radio.

"Going good." I pulled on a pair of jeans, nearly dropping the phone. "You coming home now?"

"_Yeah, I'll be home in 10 minutes to take you."_

"Yay!" I exclaimed, while looking for my shoes. "I wish you would tell me where we were going." I pouted when I heard his low chuckle through the phone.

"_Don't you worry about a thing, Sunshine."_ I blushed a little as I tied my laces.

"Ten minutes... so where exactly are you?" I asked, trying to change the subject.

"_...I took a shortcut."_ I rolled my eyes.

"Did you get lost?" I asked, grinning big as I pulled the tongue out of the way of my foot.

"_...Maybe."_ I could hear the smile in his voice. There was a pause, and I wasn't sure if he was still there._"I'm on __Fourth, right by the piers."_

"So, more like five minutes then." I pulled on my jacket, all set to go, and sat on my chair, not knowing what else to do. "Looks like you finally found an actual shortcut this time!"

"_Well, I'll get to see you just that much sooner then,"_ he replied, ignoring my jab. I laughed, absently pulling on a thread on the couch.

"Alright, I love you!" I heard him smile.

_"Ja ne, love yo-"_ The phone was abruptly cut off when a loud screeching noise and cursing came through the line.

"Zoro?" I asked, terrified. There was a splash and some weird sounds before the line went dead. I looked at the phone in disbelief before leaping off the couch. I nearly ripped the door of its hinges on my way out, not even closing it after me. I ran down four flights of stairs because the elevator was too slow. I dodged people on my way out, nearly knocking over someone, and never looked back. I jumped into a taxi, practically yelling my directions into his ear. Oh god, please let this just be a bad dream.

We were speeding down the road when I saw a red van turned over, with lots of glass spread across the pavement.

Climbing out of the car in dismay, I approached the scene looking for our car, but didn't see it. I looked around it and then finally over towards the water. The cement right by it had dark skid marks on it and was wet. I began walking towards it, then jogging, then full out running, and into a speedy dive into the water. The water filled my lungs right way, but I ignored the burn and swam to the murky bottom. I spotted what I feared the most. Our car was tilted on it's end, the light blue colour now a murky green. I swam towards it looking for my goal. I looked into the broken windshield. My heart stopped. I could feel myself crying even in the water. I wrenched the glass, kicking it until it gave in. I reached in, ignoring the burn of my lungs and the feeling of the glass cutting into my skin. I searched the inside the car to see where he was. His hair was pulled gently with the current and his pale face looked angelic. So much so that it scared me. I pushed at the stubborn seat belt and when it finally released him I was feeling faint. I ignored it and pulled him out of the wreck while swimming towards the surface with all I had.

I inhaled deeply when I hit the surface, then coughed and sputtered. I held his cold form tight against me. Alarmed that he wasn't doing the same, I hauled him up onto the safety of the pier. I turned him onto his back, and ran my fingers through his hair, confused.

"Zoro?" I asked, my voice hoarse from all of my coughing.

"Oi!" I yelled at the taxi driver who seemed to be frozen. "Call an ambulance!" I listened for breath, and when finding none I began compressions right away. I counted in my head. 1, 2, 3, Please breathe for me! The lips that were usually warm which responded with fervour, were cold against mine as I pushed a breath into his water-filled lungs. I panted with the exertion of pushing continuously against his sternum. I pushed more air into his lungs.

"Zoro, please...wake up!" I tried to keep myself together until the paramedics could get here. Where were they? Why weren't they here yet? My arms shook as I relentlessly continued.

"Oh, god. Please don't do this. Zoro!" The first few tears slipped and fell onto my working hands.

I pushed more breath in.

"Wake-up." I breathed. "Wake-up, dammit!" I sobbed when he didn't respond. "Please I love you so much, what about all of those things we planned to do? All of the things we _are_ _going to do_? What now, huh?" I growled and pushed myself harder, pushing my breath into his lungs. It had nearly been a half hour. My arms weren't working for me anymore. I tried one last time and brought my fist down hard against his sternum and again; but nothing.

His smile, his chuckle, his scowl, the face that he made when I kissed him; his hair, his hands, his mouth, his voice. My throat made a noise so animalistic, I didn't even recognize it as my own. I leaned down and hugged his torso tightly, crying and screaming for him to wake up, to get up and take me to this mystery place, take us anywhere but here. My cries of agony intensified when I felt someone taking him away from me. I gripped him tightly for dear life. Some one's arms wrapped around me; I disregarded them entirely, slamming my fists onto the glass covered asphalt, trying to get up and take him back into my arms. I felt a slight tinge of pain and then darkness.

* * *

_Beep, beep, beep_...

I opened my eyes, but I didn't really see anything. I felt dead, empty. I looked over to see a nurse writing away on her sheet. She glanced up to see me looking at her. She smiled. I didn't smile back. She talked to me, but I didn't hear her. What I responded with must have been the right thing though as I was pulled from the bed and put into a wheel-chair and pushed down a long hallway. To where? I thought idly.

A cold, lifeless room. I was rolled in a little ways. They pulled open a door of sorts and pulled out a long bed from inside of it. The man was covered up with a sheet. When the nurse looked at me I just looked back, expectantly.

They pulled the white cotton away, and I stood up. It was the face of an angel that didn't suit its surroundings. This face looked like it needed sunshine. I smiled at him, rubbing my thumb along the top of his cheek bone, but then retracted my hand as if I had been burned. His skin was ice cold. Not at all like I remembered it being. The warm, tan skin was what I wanted to remember. My hand felt scarred and robbed. I turned away and sat back down, and was taken out.

I remember going to the funeral, seeing all of our friends, gathered together. It was funny to see them all looking so sad. I couldn't remember why. I looked up to see your smiling face next to mine. The only photo which I could find. It came back to me. I looked down at my hands.

I was standing on the soft, freshly dug dirt at your grave site. Everybody has left but me. I miss you. I could really use a hand to hold, and only yours will do. I sit cross-legged in front of your grave. I sat there all night, through the rain. When I finally stand up it is sunny again. I wish it kept raining. I got into a borrowed car and drove to the pier. I slammed the door closed and leaned against it, enjoying the cool breeze. I walked to the edge of it, thinking about what you had thought while you lost consciousness underneath the gentle waves.

They said that you saved that family's life, by swerving in front and slamming into them, preventing them from your fate. It seems just like you, to do that for some people you didn't even know. I stepped off into the chilly waters. The water seeped into my lungs and I allowed it to fill every pore as I sunk to the bottom. I remember feeling your warm hand against my cheek as you pulled me away to dance beneath the gentle waves, your eyes alight with the adventures beneath the surface.

I stayed with you.


End file.
